Last Christmas
by MetaDash
Summary: The Kurosaki family has always been a happy one during the holidays, but when the death of Masaki Kurosaki takes their Christmas joy away, it takes the family on the other side - literally, in Soul Society - to bring that Christmas magic back. One-shot. Takes place within the SWA/NSWA universe but reading either is not required.


**Last Christmas**

 _"Good morning, Karakura Town! Today is looking like another cold day, on this December 24th, 2008. The high will be around-"_

One of occupants in the bed, Isshin Kurosaki, quickly shut off the radio and practically leapt out of the bed. Christmas was only two days away, and like every year, he would make sure he and his family would enjoy their special day together!

"Mm…..is it already morning….?"

"Yep! Think I'll shovel the sidewalk while you get breakfast started."

Masaki Kurosaki, his wife, had the kind of smile that could warm Isshin up even on the coldest days. She got up, walked over to her husband, and gave him a morning kiss on his cheek. "You'd better make sure the kids are up, then."

"You're right!"

* * *

First stop was the twins' room. Isshin opened the door and sought out the windows. Once he lifted up the blinds, the rays of sunlight coming in were enough to wake up the two Kurosaki daughters - Karin and Yuzu.

"Ohhh…..Dad-dy, it's too _early_ to get up," Karin grumbled, throwing the blanket over her head. "You're supposed to wake us up on Christmas."

"Nonsense! Consider it training for the big day! Now hurry downstairs for breakfast!"

Yuzu moaned. "Five more minutes…."

XXXXX

Their son, Ichigo, was a cheerful eight-year-old boy that always smiled around his mother. Of course, that didn't stop him from giving a similar look of displeasure once Isshin woke him up.  
By tilting his bed so he'd slide to the floor.

"C'mon son, get your coat on. We got some shoveling to do!"

"But I'm hungry," he said plainly. "Can't we eat first?"

"It'll taste even better once you work up an appetite!" Isshin promised. He lifted the boy over his shoulder. "Besides, you're a big strong man, like me. So we gotta do our best for the girls of the house!" He ran out of the room. Poor Ichigo tried to reach out to his small sisters for help.

* * *

But within the hour, the two came back into the house for a well-deserved breakfast. As she did every morning, Masaki did all the cooking for her family, and the looks and sounds of their enjoyment was worth it.

"Are you all ready for Christmas?" she asked. "I hope Santa has brought a lot of gifts this year!"

The twins happily shouted his name, but Ichigo turned to his father with a rather puzzled expression. "How does Santa Claus deliver to the whole world in a single night?"

"Ah ha!...I wondered the same thing when I was your age, son. It's actually very simple! Special reindeer magic magnifies his speed! He can outpace a bullet train, you know."

"Whaaaaaaaaat?! Did you see him go that fast?!"

Isshin ruffled Ichigo's hair. "He told me. I accidentally ran into him when I was using the bathroom." Of course, this only made the boy determined.

"Then I'll do the same!"

"….o-oh?"

Once breakfast was finished, the family sought out to finish their decorations for the house; Isshin even made sure to close the clinic for a bit. With the tree set up in the corner, they added any additional ornaments they could find.

"Yuzu, wait! Don't you think that's too much over there?"

"But Mommy, Santa needs to see a good tree!" she insisted. She was clumping all the orb ornaments rather close together, causing some of the branches to slope downward. Luckily she found that her box was empty. "Daddy! We need more!"

"Huh? But I'm about to put on the star!" In came Isshin with a small box. "Now, who wants to be the lucky one this year?"

All three Kurosaki children raised their hand.

"Now son, you did it last year."

"I want to do it again! Please!"

"No fair!" Karin whined. "Don't pick him, Daddy!"

Isshin and Masaki shared a look. "Alright Karin, let's make it fair. Let your mother take you all to the store. Whoever can guess my favorite candy will put it up!" He gave each child a 500 yen coin.

* * *

Fortunately for them, Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu were all well-behaved children. Ichigo was at his mother's side while she pushed a cart with the twins inside. The household needed a few things on top of the candy Isshin challenged them to get.

"Hey, Mama?"

"Yes, Ichigo?" Masaki looked down at the boy. "You seem upset."

"Well, it's just…..what if Papa was only making up those stories? What if Santa isn't….."  
"Isn't what?"

Ichigo covered his mouth and pointed to his sisters.

"Oh Ichigo, that's silly! Who else brings you presents every year? Us? I've never heard of such a thing," Masaki teased. Sure he was 8 but he still had that young innocence that melted her heart. "I promise you, you'll be able to see him tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Of course."

Karin stood up in the cart. "Mommy, Mommy! There's the candy! Hurry so we can beat Ichi-nii!"

Gently, Masaki pushed the cart right near the aisle, so the girls could reach and take what they thought their father would love. Ichigo thought carefully about his own choice, wasn't it….? He reached out, but his mother noticed he stopped halfway.

"Got it!"

Karin picked the bar instead, while Yuzu choose something else. And it almost made Masaki want to cry.

 _Oh, my Ichigo…..you're the best brother ever._

XXXXX

With his different (but wrong) choice, Ichigo waited with his sisters on line. Masaki was right behind them, checking her purse for her wallet.

"Hey! Cute kids, are they yours?"

Masaki turned and smiled at the blonde toothy stranger. "Oh yes. The girls are twins. Three bundles of joy. My husband and I are so blessed."

"Heh, I'd say so."

Next to the amicable Shinji Hirako, was Hiyori Sarugaki, distracted from reading a magazine.

"Is that your little sister?"

"Yeah, the little tyke believes in SantAAAAAAAAA." Shinji winced; Hiyori's sandaled foot was crushing his own. She couldn't see, but she could definitely still hear.

"How adorable! Well, have a happy holiday!" Soon each child paid for their candy, and Masaki purchased household items like soap, paper towels, and sugar. "Ichigo, push the cart while I hold these bags, okay?"

"Ok Mama!"

Shinji had to check if his foot wasn't broken. "You suck, Hiyori."

"Wasn't that Isshin's wife?" she asked, still reading the magazine.

"Huh yeah, it was. Damn he's lucky, he gets a babe like that, and I get a snaggletoothed dw-" **CRUNCH**

* * *

With his family still out, Isshin was outside, fixing the Christmas lights on their house. A quick test showed that two of them were out, so he went back inside for new bulbs.

When he came out-

"That looks completely gaudy. What's wrong with you? Don't tell me you've been taking decorating tips from Kisuke."

"Yoruichi! What brings you by?"

Few in Karakura Town could admit to seeing the golden eyed beauty, but that was what made her sporadic appearances so fun. Yoruichi was (thankfully) dressed in a dark sweater that no doubt was secured by Urahara. It looked terribly itchy.

"Just wanted to drop by. Family's doing ok?"

"Hmph! I don't want to brag but Ichigo's grades are great! And Karin and Yuzu, as cute as they are, have made lots of friends in their class."

Yoruichi was completely unfazed. "Cool."

"Augh, I'm trying to boast about my wonderful family you know!"

She laughed, but she stopped once she looked up into the sky. "They're not the only ones, Isshin."

"…"

"Don't be so upset. I haven't seen Kukaku in ages either. I'm sure she's doing what she normally does, y'know, drinking and shooting fireworks."

Isshin had never mentioned his nephews and niece to his children, and while he had implied he had some family to Masaki, he never mentioned their names either. It would be too hard for him.

"That's what you think?"

"I'm…..done with that life, Yoruichi. My home is here. Remember, if they catch you, they'll do much worse to you then they would to me."

Yoruichi grinned, although she herself had to leave her family behind. "I'm so popular."

"Maybe one day…..I'll find a way to see them."

"Not when your wife is 80, I hope. Anyways…." She threw a package into his arms. "That's from all of us at the shop. Merry Christmas!"

"Huh….thanks!"

She waved and walked off. "Just don't forget, our birthdays are only a week away!" In a flash and a puff of smoke, the black cat scurried into an alley.

Right before Masaki and the kids came home.

* * *

Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu wasted no time presenting their candy choices to their father. Isshin, as dramatic as he always was, took a piece from each bar.

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…not bad, not bad."

He sat down. First he tried Yuzu's piece.

"Good, good….."

Then Ichigo's piece.

"Mmm! I forgot they still carried this at the store!"

And finally….

"Eh, it's ok."

"HEY!" Karin pouted. "I thought that one was your favorite!"

Isshin laughed and picked her up. "It _is_ , my cute Karin. But the candy your sister and brother gave me was really good too! Ah, I wish I could pick all three of you….." He dug into the box and took out the star. "Ready?"

"Yay!"

"Ichi-nii, you'll help me win next year, right?" Yuzu asked meekly.

"Of course I will, Yuzu!" He looked up at Karin, and while he wished he could do the honors….seeing how happy she looked was totally worth it. Finally the star was up! The family continued their additional decorating for a few more hours.

XXXXX

Eventually, it was time to get the kids into bed. Yuzu and Karin were out like a light; they couldn't wait until the next morning, but as Masaki was tucking her son in-

"Mama, I hope you got everything you wanted for Christmas."

"Oh, Ichigo….I already did. Being here, with you, your sisters, and your father….I couldn't ask for anything else."

Ichigo frowned. "Don't you want something else? You can't even wrap us!"

"Hehehe…" she kissed his cheek. "You'll understand when you get a little older. Now sleep tight, Ichigo. You don't want Santa to think you're a naughty boy if you wake up too early!"

"Okay! Love you, Mama!"

"I love you too, Ichigo….."

The next morning, as usual, the three Kurosaki children were overjoyed to see so many presents under the tree for them. Isshin and Masaki watched them open the gifts with a smile.

"Who cares if they're getting older and older…..see the looks on their faces?"

"Oh, I'm already excited for next year….."

* * *

But next year was different. Masaki wasn't there to see any gift opening. She had passed away in June of that year. And now, six months later, while she was long buried in the cemetery, none of her children had smiles on their faces Christmas morning.

"Kids, look! Look at the presents you got!" Isshin shouted excitedly. He had dropped close to a small fortune, but mere toys couldn't fix it.

" _Where's_ Mommy?" Karin asked harshly. "That's what Santa was supposed to give us!"

"Um….well, Santa had a big list this year…."

"I want Mommy back!" Yuzu started to wail. She clutched onto her angry sister, who only kicked the presents into the wall. Ichigo, on the other hand, said nothing. He only turned around and went back upstairs.

"Son, wait! Don't go back to bed! We still have each other. We can celebrate Christmas together!"

"No. Santa's not real. If he was, he'd give Mama back to me."

"I-Ichigo….." Isshin looked helpless. "There has to be something I can do!"

"Can you bring her back?"

His silence said otherwise.

The pattern would only continue across the years. Eventually Yuzu would stop breaking out in tears, Karin would stop kicking presents, and Ichigo would stop leaving the room. But with each year, Isshin knew their excitement was a mere fraction of when their mother was still alive.

"Here son, you got a nice new sweater!"

"Looks great dad," said Ichigo rather dryly.

"Karin, a soccerball! Look!"

"Fantastic," came the sarcastic reply. "Not like I already have three of them…."

"Uhhh….Yuzu, a new doll!"

"Yay! Thank you, Daddy!" At least she could muster some excitement, but he was there to see the days of her practically jumping across the walls. "I'll put it with the other stuff I got! That way I can organize it all!"

"…"

There was simply no way to fix it. Masaki's death had taken away most of the family's zeal for Christmas. At best, it was another day where they could sit home together. At worst, it was another painful reminder that the woman they had revered so much was gone forever.

* * *

But one year was special. It wasn't the first Christmas where Ichigo had special powers, nor was it a Christmas in Karakura Town.

It was the first Christmas in their new home, the Soul Society.

 _"Christmas_? What the hell is that?"

In the process, the family had gained something to fill the void after Masaki's passing - family they didn't know had existed before. So now, the three children were explaining it to Kukaku and Ganju Shiba, their first cousins.

"So we put up a tree and give stuff to each other?" Ganju scratched his head. "Sounds weird."

Accompanying them to were four friends of the family - Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, Uryu Ishida, and Tatsuki Arisawa. All of _them_ knew about Christmas.

"Oh what the hell, I'm up for anything with you guys!" Kukaku marched outside. "We'll just need to chop down some tree. Ganju! Give me a hand!"

"You got it, sis!"

In the past, Ichigo regarded the two firecrackers as a hot-headed teacher and an annoying "rival", and the idea that he was related to them was still something to process. But there was something about the way they rushed into the woods that made him…..content.

"Oh boy, are they gonna chop down the whole forest?"

"Don't be so rude, Karin! If this is our first Christmas with them, we need to make sure it's special! What should we get them, Ichi-nii?"

"…..a picture."

"Huh?"

Ichigo looked at his sisters. "Of Mom. She's their aunt, right? They'll never know her, but we can still make her just as important as she is to us."  
"Oh good idea!"  
"What do you think they'll get us?" Karin asked.

XXXXXX

 **THWACK**

"I'm thinkin'…..nah, it's dumb."

 **THWACK**

"Don't be stupid, Ganju. If you got something to say, speak up!"

 **THWACK**

"How about…..we get them a little something with Kaien and Miyako?"

Kukaku stopped hacking at the tree. The truth was, none of the Kurosaki children had met them, in the same vein that they never met Masaki. Ichigo was a dead ringer for Kaien, save for the hair color, and based on the stories they told them, it seemed Miyako's warmth rivaled that of their aunt.

"I like it! We should tell Uncle Isshin about it!"

Imagine Isshin's surprise when both groups came to him about the idea, albeit at different times. It seemed too perfect to be true, so he encouraged the five of them with their idea.

"Oh that's right, you're the only one that knew them all, Isshin-san. Your wife, your nephew, and your niece-in-law…." Orihime tapped her lip. "Would they get along today?"

"Are you kidding?! Of course they would! Every Christmas since Masaki's death, the kids have always been so melancholy. This….this is what they _need._ Family."

* * *

So when that day arrived…..

"Merry Christmas!"

The house was abuzz with good cheer and tidings, even if Kukaku and Ganju still didn't understand the full history behind the holiday. But they were the first ones to present their gift: a portrait of Kaien and Miyako.

"Ta-da! This one's for you!"

"Yeah we know you guys have seen pictures of them before, but THIS…..this is the definitive version!" Ganju grinned. "So where should I hang it up?"

The three Kurosaki children looked embarrassed.

"What's wrong?"

They presented their own gift - a portrait of Masaki.

"Oh…..we had the same idea….?" Kukaku looked between the two portraits. "Man these would make great posters. I can see why you fell in love with her, Uncle. She's….beautiful."

"Swap them," Isshin commanded.

"Huh?"

"You all had the same idea, that's why I goaded you on. We all lost someone important in our lives, but them being gone doesn't mean they'll die in our memories. We're together now. Time to make it official."

Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu held out the Masaki portrait while Kukaku and Ganju held out the portrait of Kaien and Miyako. Isshin, being the only one that knew all of them, felt their presence when the exchange was complete. His family didn't need to speak; simply by looking at the art was enough to elicit tears on both sides.

 _I was wrong. I never should've kept you guys apart. Maybe if I wasn't so selfish…..you kids would've all grown up together._

He felt the comforting hands of both his wife and nephew on his shoulder, but that wasn't drove Isshin to tears himself.  
No, it was seeing both sides of his family embrace each other.

 _Ichigo….Karin….Yuzu…..Kukaku….Ganju….._

He couldn't help it. He was overcome with too much emotion. He ran over and put his big, strong fatherly arms around the five of them.

"I LOVE YOU ALL!" he cried dramatically. Normally his children would've rolled their eyes at his antics, but here….they only laughed, happy.

On the sides, the others were enjoying the sight.

"It's in the Christmas spirit to see a family reunited," Chad said.

"I have to admit, it's sweet to see." Uryu cleaned his (wet) glasses.

Orihime clapped her hands. "Doesn't it make you want to hug your closest friend?"

"Hehe, kinda," Tatsuki smiled.

But then Isshin's stare turned to the four of them. Despite not being his actual blood relatives, he still very much expected them to join the circle.

"Come on, you guys, there's enough room for everyone!"

"Uh….."

"Um…."

"I don't think….."

"NEW FAMILY TRADITION! EVERYONE IS REQUIRED TO HUG ON CHRISTMAS FOR 20 MINUTES!" Channeling the family love of his wife, nephew, and niece, Isshin was easily able to cross the room and drag Orihime, Uryu, Chad, and Tatsuki into the hug despite already holding five other people. With nine people under his arms, things got a little too cramped, but there was no point in fighting it.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS, ALL! DADDY LOVES YOU!"

"Ugh Dad, don't say it like that!"

"I can't breathe!"

"You're so embarrassing, Goat Face!"

"Too….tight….!"

For family is the strongest bond of them all.

 **FIN**

* * *

 **Ending notes: I'm sorry this took so long, I caught a bit of a cold and that made it hard to focus. Plus I wasn't quite sure on what idea to do at first, considering I had already used up Yachiru antics the past two years. So for this one, we're going a little back in time. The Kurosaki-Shiba family is one of my favorite aspects of Bleach, and the chapter where Karin and Yuzu officially meet Kukaku and Ganju? Still one of my personal favorites for SWA.**

 **There is a bit of a shifting timeline to match up with the date I started the whole universe (2015). So it puts NSWA as taking place formally in 2019, which is almost upon us in real life.**

 **2019 is gonna have some dark surprises for you guys but for now, I wanted something wholesome. Happy holidays, everyone!**


End file.
